In recent years, aircraft control systems (e.g., avionics systems) have becoming increasingly electronic and integrated with on-board computers. When combined with recent advances in voice recognition software, it now seems feasible that voice commands may soon been used to control various avionics systems functions.
However, modern voice recognition software in and of itself, may not be able address the varying levels of hardware and software criticality or the flight crew procedures currently implemented by regulatory authorities that are designed to prevent errors in input control. For example, flight crews are often trained in procedures for entering avionics systems commands that involve one pilot speaking the next intended command and the other pilot confirming that the command is correct. Further, modern safety standards for software used in avionics systems (such as the DO-178B protocol) requires extremely high reliability for software functions involving critical (e.g., high hazard level) functions (such as a 1.0×10−9 probability of failure).
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a method and system for operating an avionics system having voice command capability that differentiates between the hazard levels of various avionics systems functions, allows the flight crew to interact in a manner consistent with modern flight deck procedures, and is capable of meeting the safety requirements of regulatory authorities. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.